Turntable-retaining clip

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed herein a generally cylindrical phonograph turntable-retaining clip which telescopes over the turntable shaft and has radially outwardly offset, axially parallel tension ribs for resiliently engaging the central opening of a turntable.

United States Patent Inventor Albert E. Sanow Grafton Township, Lorain County, Ohio Appl. No. 2,037 Filed Jan. 12, 1970 Patented July 27, 1971 Assignee The General Industries Company Elyria, Ohio TURNTABLE-RETAINING CLIP 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 24/214, 1 274/39 Int. Cl ..A44b17/00, G1 1b 3/60 Field oISeareh 274/39 A,

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,373,076 3/1921 .laquiery H 24/213 CS 1,181,108 5/1916 Capps 274/39 2,293,212 8/1942 Offen 274/39 X 3,319,965 5/1967 W01f 274/39 A FOREIGN PATENTS 521,276 5/1940 Great Britain 24/213 CS Primary ExaminerDonald A. Griffin Attorney-J. H. Slough ABSTRACT: There is disclosed herein a generally cylindrical phonograph turntable-retaining clip which telescopes over the turntable shaft and has radially outwardly offset, axially parallel tension ribs for resiliently engaging the central opening of a turntable.

TURNTABLE-RETAINING CLIP This invention relates to phonographs and particularly to means for mounting a turntable on the shaft or spindle of a phonograph.

In mounting the turntable, said turntable must firmly engage the shaft whereby there is no free movement thereof during the time when a record is being played. The turntable must be retained as nearly concentric with the shaft as possible to prevent wobble during rotation and is preferably easily removable and replaceable without the use of tools or the disassembly of small parts.

The present invention comprises a generally cylindrical clip which is substantially C-shaped in cross section and is provided intermediate the end portions thereof with a plurality of radially outwardly offset tension ribs disposed parallel with the axis of the clip and spaced circumferentially around the clip. Said clip is formed of a thin sheet material such as spring steei and is adapted to telescope snugly over a turntable shaft. A turntable of conventional design having a central opening is seated over the shaft and clip whereby the tension ribs exert a radially outwardpressure against the inner surface of said opening and a radially inward reactive pressure against the shaft. The turntable is thereby both'centered and firmly held against free movement relative to the shaft when a record is played. The shaft is preferably provided with annular shoulders adjacent to and radially overlapping the ends of the clip whereby said clip is retained in a predetermined axial position on the shaft and is prevented from being pulled off of the shaft when the turntable is removed The present invention is particularly well adapted for mounting a plastic turntable to a steel shaft or spindle, but it will be readily understood that the same may be used for mounting a turntable of any suitable material to any suitable shaft or spindle.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved means for mounting a'phonograph turntable upon a turntable shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a turntablemounting means affording a firm, concentric engagement of the turntable with the shaft without the use of additional fastening or retaining means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a turntable-mounting means in the form of a generally cylindrical clip which can be manually telescoped over the shaft and is automatically retained thereon. 7

Yet another object is to provide a clip as set forth above having means for resiliently engaging the inner surface of a central turntable opening and affording a reactive force firmly engaging the turntable shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clip of the above type whereby a turntable can be mounted upon or removed from a turntable shaft by simply applying manual pressure in an axial direction to telescope the turntable over the shaft or pull said turntable from the shaft.

Other objects and advantages, of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings disclosing one embodiment thereof, in which said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top-plan view of a phonograph turntable mounted upon a turntable shaft by means of the retaining clip of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and including an extreme-outer edge portion of the turntable;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view of the retaining clip of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the retaining clip; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the retaining clip.

' Referring now to the drawings in all of which like parts are designated by like reference numerals, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a phonograph turntable 10 mounted upon a turntable shaft or spindle 11, said turntable being firmly held and centered thereon by means of a turntable retaining clip generally indicated at 12.

The turntable 10 may be of substantially conventional design and comprises a disc 15 having a downwardly directed, central hub I6 and a depending, outer peripheral flange 17. The hub 16 has a central bore 18 my means of which the hub 16 is adapted to be seated over the turntable shaft I I for rotation therewith. It will be understood that the disc ISis adapted to receive and support a conventional sound'reproducing record (not shown) and that the turntable 10 is rotated in a suitable manner such as by providing a friction wheel drive (not shown) against the depending flange 17, a drive means well known to those familiar with the art.

The turntable shaft 11 has a lower portion 20 rotatably mounted within a fixed bearing 21 which said bearing is securely mounted in any suitable manner to a mounting plate 22 of the phonograph. The upper end of the bearing 21 is provided with a friction reducing washer 23, and the lower portion 20 of the turntable shaft 11 is retained within the bearing 21 by upper and lower retainers 24 and 25 seated in annular grooves 26 and 27', respectively.

The turntable shaft 11 projects upwardly above the upper end of the bearing 21.and is provided with a substantially elongated, diametrically reduced portion 28 which is generally axially coextensive with the hub 16 and the bore 18. Upper and lower annular shoulders 29a and 2% are provided at either end of the reduced portion 28, and the uppermost end of said turntable shaft is rounded in the conventional manner as indicated in Ha.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 4-6, the turntableretaining clip 12 as herein disclosed in integrally formed of a single piece of thin sheet metal such as spring steel and comprises a generally cylindrical body 30 which is generally C- shaped as seen from one end thereof (FIG. 4), the cylindrical body 30 being separated at one point parallel to its axis whereby said clip can spring outwardly or be compressed inwardly a slight amount.

The body 30 is provided with a plurality of integral tension ribs 31 which extend longitudinally of the clip parallel with its axis and terminate short of the ends of the clip. The tension ribs 31, which are three in number as herein illustrated, are struck radially outwardly and offset with respect to the body 30 and are flanked on either side by longitudinal slots 32 which are also disposed parallel with the axis of the clip and which define the offset portions of the body forming the tension ribs 31. The end portions of the tension ribs 31, indicated at 33, taper at a shallow angle into the body 30 whereby to provide a resilient effect in said ribs.

The retaining clip 12 is mounted upon the turntable shaft 11 manually by simply slipping the cylindrical clip downwardly over the rounded upper end portion Ila of said turntable shaft. Due to the fact that the substantially cylindrical clip is separated at one point in the circumference thereof, said clip can readily expand to slip over the rounded portion lla before it snaps into and seats on the reduced portion 28 of the turntable shaft. Once seated, said clip is retained between the shoulders 29a and 2911 against any substantial axial displacement and against any accidental removal thereof. However, deliberate removal of the clip 12 is easily achieved by simply spreading the body 30 to increase its diameter whereby the same may he slipped off the turntable shaft 1 1.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the turntable 10 is mounted on the shaft 11 by disposing the hub 16 downwardly over said shaft whereby the tension ribs 31 firmly engage the inner surface of the bore 18 and at the same time create a reactive inward force firmly gripping the shaft 1 1. Upper and lower ends of the bore 18 may be provided with annular bevels 19a and 19b, respectively, to facilitate slipping the hub 16 over the end 0 the shaft and onto the retainer clip 12.

It will be noted that in seating the hub 16 over the retainer clip 12, said clip cannot move downwardly beyond the shoulder 29b and that in the same manner, when the hub 16 is removed by pulling the same upwardly, the clip is prevented from coming ofi said shaft by the shoulder 290. Thus a simple and effective means is provided for firmly connecting the turntable to the shaft and for centering the same with respect thereto. Means are also provided whereby the turntable can be quickly and easily mounted on the shaft or removed therefrom without the need for removing, attaching or otherwise manipulating other small brackets or the like.

It will be understood that many changes in the details of the invention as herein described and illustrated may be made without, however, departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. Means for mounting a centrally apertured phonograph turntable upon a phonograph, said means comprising a turntable shaft; a substantially cylindrical clip of generally C-shapcd cross section adapted to telescope over said shaft; said clip having a plurality of radially outwardly offset tension means spaced around the circumference thereof; said tension means adapted to resiliently contact surface portions of the turntable aperture when the turntable is mounted on the shaft and afford a reactive force inwardly against the shaft whereby the turntable is firmly mounted and centered with respect to said shaft.

2. Means for mounting a turntable as set forth in claim 1; said tension means comprising axially parallel, resilient ribs.

3. Means for mounting a turntable as set forth in claim 2; said clip being formed of a single piece of sheet spring metal; said clip comprising a substantially cylindrical body and said ribs being struck outwardly from said body.

4. Means for mounting a turntable as set forth in claim 2; saidclip being formed of a single piece of sheet spring metal; said clip comprising a substantially cylindrical body; said body having a plurality of pairs of circumferentially spaced slots;

the metal disposed between said slots being struck outwardly to form said ribs.

54 Means for mounting a turntable as set forth in claim 1; said shaft having a diametrically reduced portion disposed between a pair of radially outwardly projecting, annular shoulders; said clip engaging said reduced portion in use thereof and being retained against axial displacement by said shoulders whereby a turntable can be seated upon and removed from said shaft without removal ofsaid clip.

6. A turntable-retaining clip for a phonograph adapted to be disposed between a turntable shaft and the central opening of a turntable, said clip being formed about an axis from a single piece of sheet spring metal into a substantial cylinder having circumferentially spaced edges; said clip having a plurality of pairs of circumferentially spaced elongated slots disposed parallel with the axis of said clip; the metal disposed between said slots being struck radially outwardly and forming axially parallel, resilient tension ribs; said ribs adapted to resiliently contact surface portions of the turntable opening when the turntable is mounted on the shaft and afford a reactive force inwardly against the shaft whereby the turntable is mounted and centered with respect to the shaft and whereby the turntable can be readily removed from the shaft by manual pressure on said turntable in an axial direction. 

1. Means for mounting a centrally apertured phonograph turntable upon a phonograph, said means comprising a turntable shaft; a substantially cylindrical clip of generally C-shaped cross section adapted to telescope over said shaft; said clip having a plurality of radially outwardly offset tension means spaced around the circumference thereof; said tension means adapted to resiliently contact surface portions of the turntable aperture when the turntable is mounted on the shaft and afford a reactive force inwardly against the shaft whereby the turntable is firmly mounted and centered with respect to said shaft.
 2. Means for mounting a turntable as set forth in claim 1; said tension means comprising axially parallel, resilient ribs.
 3. Means for mounting a turntable as set forth in claim 2; said clip being formed of a single piece of sheet spring metal; said clip comprising a substantially cylindrical body and said ribs being struck outwardly from said body.
 4. Means for mounting a turntable as set forth in claim 2; said clip being formed of a single piece of sheet spring metal; said clip comprising a substantially cylindrical body; said body having a plurality of pairs of circumferentially spaced slots; the metal disposed between said slots being struck outwardly to form said ribs.
 5. Means for mounting a turntable as set forth in claim 1; said shaft having a diametrically reduced portion disposed between a pair of radially outwardly projecting, annular shoulders; said clip engaging said reduced portion in use thereof and being retained against axial displacement by said shoulders whereby a turntable can be seated upon and removed from said shaft without removal of said clip.
 6. A turntable-retaining clip for a phonograph adapted to be disposed between a turntable shaft and the central opening of a turntable, said clip being formed about an axis from a single piece of sheet spring metal into a substantial cylinder having circumferentially spaced edges; said clip having a plurality of pairs of circumferentially spaced elongated slots disposed parallel with the axis of said clip; the metal disposed between said slots being struck radially outwardly and forming axially parallel, resilient tension ribs; said ribs adapted to resiliently contact surface portions of the turntable opening when the turntable is mounted on the shaft And afford a reactive force inwardly against the shaft whereby the turntable is mounted and centered with respect to the shaft and whereby the turntable can be readily removed from the shaft by manual pressure on said turntable in an axial direction. 